It’s no secret that sports across the world have been impacted incredibly badly by the global pandemic. In some countries, sport was banned completely, while in others, teams played in empty stadiums, with fans unable to attend. With the world hoping to get back to ‘normal’ in the near future, it is interesting to take the time to think about how Covid, and the vaccines that have been produced, may impact NFL 2021. We’ve put together some information so you can see what you might expect this year.
The Long Term Plan
Although those who play for an NFL team are unlikely to be in any priority group to receive a vaccine, given the fact that most adults will have been given their vaccine by the end of the summer, it seems reasonable to expect that the next season will be able to go ahead in time for the training camps before the season starts. The vaccines are not mandatory at this point, and it remains to be seen whether individual teams will choose to state that their players must be vaccinated in order to play.
What does it mean to fans?
You can be sure that fans will be allowed to attend at least some games in the 2021 season. However, there is a chance that stadiums will not yet be allowed to fill to their capacity, due to the sheer number of people that would be involved in such an event. The process of getting fans back into the stadium is likely to be a gradual process that takes many months – so fans shouldn’t simply assume that they will be able to go back to normal and watch their team’s games like they would have in the past. It also seems likely, though it has not yet been confirmed, that fans who want to attend the games will need to show proof of vaccinations – so if you have taken the decision not to accept your offer of a vaccination, you may find that you’re no longer allowed into sporting stadiums. In the meantime, you can bet safely online on trusted sites like OlyBet.
How did Covid affect scouting?
Scouting is an incredibly important part of the game, to give teams the chance to pick exactly the right players for each and every position. However, this is something that has been incredibly difficult with disruption to play, and with communication being more difficult than before. This means that although teams have selected their players, it may not be the team that they ideally wanted, or the one that they would have chosen if play had happened as normal last season.
When will sport be completely back to normal?
This is an interesting question, and there are some who suggest that we will never see events that include such huge crowds again. However, assuming the vaccines are successful, and enough people choose to accept theirs, it seems reasonable to suggest that things will be looking more like the good old days from the 2022 season. Sport brings people together – and there is no doubt that we need that after dealing with the pandemic for such a long time.
